Capel last night at Iba Awards

[oSuJeff97]

So I thought you guys might be interested in this...

I attended the Iba Citizen Athlete Awards last night in Tulsa where Jeff Capel was the keynote speaker.

All I can say is.... holy cow... I was impressed with him before last night, and now I think it's safe to say that he's probably my favorite non-OSU related person in college basketball.

He gave an amazing keynote speech that was mostly about the people who have influenced him over the years (coaches, teachers, parents) related to his "seven key points" (or something like that).... he included lots of great stories about his past from Duke to VCU to OU.

Some of the funnier/more interesting ones I remember:

• He said Eddie Sutton called him after OU beat OSU in GIA ealier this year to congratulate him on the win; he also said Eddie offered him some advice on how to attack the zone, since everyone was zoning them because of Blake Griffin; he said the advice came in handy when they were preparing for Syracuse.
• Told another funny story about when he was an assistant at Duke; his wife (gf at the time) was in law school somewhere outside of Durham (can't remember where) and he was supposed to go visit her for the weekend. On the Friday when he was going to leave, his brother, who was still at North Carolina at the time, called him to tell him that Michael Jordan was there and playing pickup games with the current players. Long story short -- he ditched the girlfriend weekend and went to Chappel Hill to play with MJ.
• Talked about Coach K a bit... talked about how much he loved and respected him... said he was the most influential person in his life outside of his family, but said that he acts "exactly like" Bob Knight... "he just doesn't do it in front of cameras."

 

[Sooner04]

Told another funny story about when he was an assistant at Duke; his wife (gf at the time) was in law school somewhere outside of Durham (can't remember where) and he was supposed to go visit her for the weekend. On the Friday when he was going to leave, his brother, who was still at North Carolina at the time, called him to tell him that Michael Jordan was there and playing pickup games with the current players. Long story short -- he ditched the girlfriend weekend and went to Chappel Hill to play with MJ.

This may say more about Kanika than anything else. My wife would've had my ass in a jar over ditching her, but it's nice to know Kanika understands about MJ. I certainly would've made the same choice.

Thanks for sharing, Jeff.

 

[oSuJeff97]

This may say more about Kanika than anything else. My wife would've had my ass in a jar over ditching her, but it's nice to know Kanika understands about MJ. I certainly would've made the same choice.

Thanks for sharing, Jeff.

Actually... he said that was "the biggest fight they've ever had" before or since.

 

[OUHoops]

Jeff, thanks for posting that. Good stuff.

 

[152219]

Didn't Capel's wife go to Yale for law school?

 

[elmocarp]

Thanks for the post Jeff...

Did Capel mention anything about Steven Pledger's shooting ability?

 

[oSuJeff97]

Did Capel mention anything about Steven Pledger's shooting ability?

No, but oddly he did mention that "BigTime from the OUhoops board generally doesn't know what he's talking about."

 

[SoonerNorm]

Jeff, thanks for posting, good stuff!

 

[BigTime]

No, but oddly he did mention that "BigTime from the OUhoops board generally doesn't know what he's talking about."

So true. Thanks for the report, jeff. I wish I could have attended.

 

[oSuJeff97]

So true. Thanks for the report, jeff. I wish I could have attended.

I thought you would enjoy that...

Another one that I just remembered that was sort of interesting related to his wife...

He was talking about the choices people make to end up where they end up...

When he was looking for a job several years ago, he had interviewed at both VCU and somewhere else... Robert Morris I believe....

Robert Morris offered him a full-time assistant job... it was like the 3rd assistant or something... he would have been on the road with team, recuiting, etc.

At about the same time, VCU offered him an assitant job, but it was like the 4th assistant, no traveling with the team, less money, etc. It was basically just one rung above a grad assistant.

He decided to take the VCU job because it was in Richmond (?) basically because his wife (girlfriend at the time) had just finished law school and got a job there.

The rest, as it goes, is history.

 

[tomkar98]

I thought you would enjoy that...

Another one that I just remembered that was sort of interesting related to his wife...

He was talking about the choices people make to end up where they end up...

When he was looking for a job several years ago, he had interviewed at both VCU and somewhere else... Robert Morris I believe....

Robert Morris offered him a full-time assistant job... it was like the 3rd assistant or something... he would have been on the road with team, recuiting, etc.

At about the same time, VCU offered him an assitant job, but it was like the 4th assistant, no traveling with the team, less money, etc. It was basically just one rung above a grad assistant.

He decided to take the VCU job because it was in Richmond (?) basically because his wife (girlfriend at the time) had just finished law school and got a job there.

The rest, as it goes, is history.

Thats a great story! It shows how much of a family man, Capel is. There are many examples of how great a person he is. Probably many more examples of how great the Capel family is. Such great people, and they have a connection to this program. Man thats nice! haha

 

[MsProudSooner]

This may say more about Kanika than anything else. My wife would've had my ass in a jar over ditching her, but it's nice to know Kanika understands about MJ. I certainly would've made the same choice.

Thanks for sharing, Jeff.

I would have said "You are forgiven if I can come watch the pickup games!"

 

[Sooner23]

Thanks for the update. Wonder what the reaction would be on the OSU boards to Eddie giving Capel coaching advice?

 

[oSuJeff97]

Thanks for the update. Wonder what the reaction would be on the OSU boards to Eddie giving Capel coaching advice?

I'm sure you'd have your usual small band of crazies who would whine about it...

I personally think it's a great thing. In my estimation, Eddie has certainly earned the right to reach out to whomever he dang well pleases.

 

[Tony]

Remember that time when Eddie Sutton became the head coach at the University of San Francisco for a few months? That was weird.

 

[triplefatty]

Remember that time when Eddie Sutton became the head coach at the University of San Francisco for a few months? That was weird.

how about that time he hugged kirk and nick. sutton was a complete loser-face.

 

[BigTime]

I'm sure you'd have your usual small band of crazies who would whine about it...

I personally think it's a great thing. In my estimation, Eddie has certainly earned the right to reach out to whomever he dang well pleases.

I think bitterbeerface has a misconstrued idea of what his rights as a citizen really are. I am just glad I wasn't that elementary school fence....

 

[oSuJeff97]

I think bitterbeerface has a misconstrued idea of what his rights as a citizen really are. I am just glad I wasn't that elementary school fence....

Seriously dude?

I posted this thread to relay some information about Capel that I thought you guys would be interested in and you're going to make some wise @ss comment about Sutton?

Especially in the context of this discussion.... where he was congratulating Capel on beating OSU?

Really?

Grow up.

 

[BigTime]

Seriously dude?

I posted this thread to relay some information about Capel that I thought you guys would be interested in and you're going to make some wise @ss comment about Sutton?

Especially in the context of this discussion.... where he was congratulating Capel on beating OSU?

Really?

Grow up.

Think about the kids, jeff. They touched that fence the next day. Gross.

Relax. I think Eddie is a pretty good dude, but I am not (unlike the media and most fans) going to give him a free pass for what he did.

 

[doc]

I don't think he should get a free pass, but it doesn't take away everything he did as a coach. Hell, our last president had a DUI too, but no one bashes him for it.